The Senate on May 22 easily passed a long-awaited water policy bill that would allow dredging at ports around the country ahead of the widening of the Panama Canal.

House and Senate transportation leaders said they will vote next week on a final water policy bill that approves myriad improvements to ports nationwide.

President Obama pressed for larger federal investments for infrastructure and announced the administration would streamline the permitting process for new roads, bridges and other major infrastructure projects.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) called on congressional colleagues May 13 to support his bill that would establish a $50 billion infrastructure fund financed with multinational companies’ repatriated foreign profits.

House and Senate transportation leaders said they would unveil an $8.2 billion water policy bill that would approve the deepening of U.S. ports to accommodate larger ships traveling through an expanded Panama Canal next year.

The top transportation policy writers in the Senate said they would introduce a six-year transportation bill May 12 and scheduled the bill’s committee consideration for May 15, more than two weeks after the Obama administration unveiled its four-year proposal.

The top transportation authorizer in the Senate said she would unveil a long-term transportation bill May 8, responding to concerns raised by industry and government officials over a dwindling federal highway account that supports infrastructure projects.